A Sherwen howler .........

[Anonymous]

Two wishes

First I wish the commentators would have a "team meeting" and all agree how to pronounce the names. Craig says one thing, Bob another, P&P something else. Can't they hear each other?

Second: Kill the obnoxious high energy crapo music during the intros with P&P droning along. Like the Versus producers think they can make dull old cycling "exciting" with their bad cheap music.

I point out so many stupid, contradictory or odd things the boys say that the wife finally says to keep quiet. Thank God for TiVo and the mute button. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

 

[Sydney Sider]

I have to give Liggett some props after his comments about the cobbled stage last night, he basically stuck it to the riders and DS's sooking bout the stage being included.

 

[Escarabajo]

...

Number 3, In what planetary alignment would Magnus ever lead a peleton up a mountain. Magnus couldn't outclimb a drunk parapelegic turtle turned on its back over a Double Cheesberger.

This is funny. I need to memorize this sentence.

 

[Escarabajo]

Is it me or didn't Paul picked Armstrong to win the Cobbles Stage?

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Whats pathetic is how they rarely can tell the difference between the peleton and the breakaway group. Hey Guys, the groups with only 4 or 5 guys are probably not the peleton.

I remember them showing a group of 5 riders, 5 different teams in a breakaway and Phil kept calling it the "front of the peleton here working hard to lead them up the mountain". 1 of the 5 riders was Magnus Backstedt, who is only the biggest rider of the decade. First off, the same dang 4-5 riders have been off the front of the peleton all day, so maybe you should realize that you see these guys, its the break. HOw the Hell can you not tell the rider is Big Maggie?

Number 3, In what planetary alignment would Magnus ever lead a peleton up a mountain. Magnus couldn't outclimb a drunk parapelegic turtle turned on its back over a Double Cheesberger.

If you're going to make critical comments about people in cycling, at least learn how to spell cycling terms.

Remember: Pele was an association football player who is not in the peloton.

 

[Kender]

I think Matt Keenan with Paul Sherman would be a good combo. Most of Pauls comments about riders are carry ons from Phil. paul is basically carrying the commentary by correcting all phils errors.

one of the main issues i have with phil is he forgets he's just said something 2 minutes ago so repeats it. either that or he's really struggling to fill in the gaps.

I like how matt Keenan doesn't feel the need to be speaking every single second and will actually have some pauses in commentary if he wont really add to the situation

 

[Kender]

but on a day like today anything can happen

 

[Maxiton]

If you're going to make critical comments about people in cycling, at least learn how to spell cycling terms.

Remember: Pele was an association football player who is not in the peloton.

Thank you.

 

[Maxiton]

Whats pathetic is how they rarely can tell the difference between the peleton and the breakaway group. Hey Guys, the groups with only 4 or 5 guys are probably not the peleton.

I think the problem is a simple one: they've been doing this for so long they are now "phoning it in." They're tired and bored and jaded and they just don't care anymore. But it pays well and that they can't get enough of.

Never really cared for Sherwin - too bland. But Liggett when he was younger and still excited about cycling, sounded excited, and intelligent, and at times even insightful, and made the racing exciting, too. He still occasionally does that, but most of the time you can hear him on autopilot. Which is not good.

ESPN, Universal Sports, and especially Versus, should try some of the Cycling.tv commentators. Maggie, Marty, Anthony - for my money they bring the enthusiasm and excitement back to the commentary box and it's infectious. (They are also, unfortunately, the only thing about Cycling.tv that doesn't utterly suck).

 

[MacRoadie]

Bob Roll speaking on Lance's day on the cobbles:

"A "lost opportunity" may be stretching it. He wanted to limit his losses and everyone expected Contador to lose a lot of time but that didn't happen."

If he meant Lance went into the stage looking to limit his losses, who did they expect was going to put the hurt on Contador?

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Wouldn't it be great if they could be honest? "Whoa, he's pulled away from the rest of them like a ***** who just got paid... those sessions with Ferrari really paid off!"

But, of course, they're part of the charade. Must be difficult and tiring.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

So Lance went into Stage 3 looking to limit his losses?

When I heard Roll say that I took him to mean that Armstrong didn't think he would win the stage, but would try to lose less time to whoever did win than Contador. That was consistent with what Armstrong said briefly before the stage.

 

[Maxiton]

Wouldn't it be great if they could be honest? "Whoa, he's pulled away from the rest of them like a ***** who just got paid... those sessions with Ferrari really paid off!"

But, of course, they're part of the charade. Must be difficult and tiring.

It would be awesome if they could be honest like that. And yeah, I'm sure it is tiring. Which is maybe why they sound tired.

 

[MacRoadie]

When I heard Roll say that I took him to mean that Armstrong didn't think he would win the stage, but would try to lose less time to whoever did win than Contador. That was consistent with what Armstrong said briefly before the stage.

Sorry, was in the process of tidying that up. My point was really that the whole RS strategy seemed to be very passive, rather than proactive.

 

[nowhereman]

Whatever the Dealio, The P&P show, recapped by Roller boy and HUMMER(isn't hummer another term for...., never mind) Has turned into a show that has at times left me practically falling asleep. The show that starts with their picks for the day(as if we give a Sheet), then drones on with Phil miscues, and Paul's attempts at poetry: There goes the Footon-Servetto rider, RESPLENDENT in his Big Foot Kit! All leading into the next marathon of Armstrong commercials. Man it has turned into a GROSS experience.
So, whether you're east coast, left coast, or all around the globe. The internet provides us with many opportunities to view the Tour de France by alternate means.
Just before Frank crashed out on stage 3, Phil had promised that there would be no more commercial breaks til the end of the stage. Seconds later they broke away to commercial break! I freaked, turned off the TV and went to my 27" Mac picked up a feed from Steephill.TV and saw the Frank crash, in real time, and knew VS was still in commercials. I'm done with their garbage peddling. Any one of us, who have complained on this thread, can do the same. Get back your CHOICE!!! Use the alternate opportunities available, or don't complain.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

Any one of us, who have complained on this thread, can do the same. Get back your CHOICE!!! Use the alternate opportunities available, or don't complain.

Yeah, cause live streaming is really practical for people living in a time zone 12hrs different to CET, in a country with slow and expensive internet services.

If anyone knows of a place to download recordings of decent english commentary within a few hours of the stage finishing that would be of interest.

 

[Carlo Algatrensig]

one of the main issues i have with phil is he forgets he's just said something 2 minutes ago so repeats it. either that or he's really struggling to fill in the gaps.

On him repeating himself could this be caused by the fact that he is commentating for several different networks that go to commercials at different times and so some people will hear it twice but others will only hear it once.

 

[The Hitch]

Those of you who have the option of eurosport, Harmonn and Kelly dont hate lance, but they arent fan boys. In fact Harmonn just said that accross the board Dennis Menchov has a better GC record than Lance, because Menchov has won 2 of them, and Lance only one. You are unlikely to hear this from Phil and Paul thats for sure.

 

[Spare Tyre]

Yeah, cause live streaming is really practical for people living in a time zone 12hrs different to CET, in a country with slow and expensive internet services.

If anyone knows of a place to download recordings of decent english commentary within a few hours of the stage finishing that would be of interest.

You know about http://cyclingtorrents.nl/ ??? TdF stages are being uploaded pretty quickly, although if by "few" you mean "3" that might be a tad optimistic.

 

[Dewulf]

On him repeating himself could this be caused by the fact that he is commentating for several different networks that go to commercials at different times and so some people will hear it twice but others will only hear it once.

Yeah, think I've heard them (Phil and Paul) say this when they've been interviewed or done a segment about what they do.

All the same, the repetition, the way they dumb it down, the focus on 'certain riders' (and it's not just LA)...ye-up, i think it's time for the mute button eh. Matt Keenan does it so much better.

 

[nowhereman]

Bwaaaa,waa,waaa, I'm back! After another day of commercial free viewing of the French countryside, and an exciting stage finish foe Cav, all with Eurosport. Didn't even look at my TV, on the way to my Mac. And I feel so much more fresh. Have a g'day folks. Hope y'all figure it out. (Looks like you've figured out the Liggett repetitions / commercials thing). Now that that's been solved..... ENJOY!

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

Speaking of great British cycling journalists who have shamefully prostrated themselves before the false god LanceStrong -- check out this Graham Watson Twitter update:

http://twitter.com/grahamwatson10/status/18033634497

It explains so much!

 

[Mr.DNA]

Speaking of great British cycling journalists who have shamefully prostrated themselves before the false god LanceStrong -- check out this Graham Watson Twitter update:

http://twitter.com/grahamwatson10/status/18033634497

It explains so much!

Ha ha.

Seriously, didn't he sign on as the official Astana photog a couple years ago?

 

[Race Radio]

Speaking of great British cycling journalists who have shamefully prostrated themselves before the false god LanceStrong -- check out this Graham Watson Twitter update:

http://twitter.com/grahamwatson10/status/18033634497

It explains so much!

No wonder he is so fat

 

[ManInFull]

Those of you who have the option of eurosport, Harmonn and Kelly dont hate lance, but they arent fan boys. In fact Harmonn just said that accross the board Dennis Menchov has a better GC record than Lance, because Menchov has won 2 of them, and Lance only one. You are unlikely to hear this from Phil and Paul thats for sure.

Oh, how I wish that I could get the TdF in HD through a station other than Versus. Would be nice to get a more objective take on LA.

What do you mean by GC record? Or did you mean Grand Tour record?